One of my favorite non-urbanist bloggers is Chris Brogan.  While he blogs mainly about small business strategy and social media, he often uses examples from outside his area of focus to illustrate his points.

Last week was a case in point.  In a post on getting his reader to create more welcoming ‘places’ on the web, Chris used real places as an example:

YOUR PLACES ARE A RECIPE

When I take people to my small town, I take them by the “yellow place,” my coffee (and ice cream) shop, run by a sweet woman from Italy, who makes great coffee, and who treats my guests very well. If you come to lunch at the Barking Dog or the Ale House, you’ll get a level of service that will leave you impressed and will make me proud for taking you there. And it’s a recipe or a formula:

Ambiance + (Unique) Touch + Personal Service = Memorable (Place). A + T + P = M

Right? That’s why you take me to the places you take me when I visit. Sometimes, it’s one element more than another. When I visited Birmingham, Alabama, I fell in love with the place, but that’s because Merrill Stewart took me around and connected me to amazing people. The “personal service” part was what really hooked me more than the rest of the equation. When I go to somewhere like Cafe Du Monde, it’s more about the unique touch, I guess.

The above formula is a useful shorthand to use in placemaking. It helps focus our thinking on a community’s assets, inspiration, and potential—essential qualities for people who care about the places in their lives.

What are your most liked  ‘places’ in your hometown or favorite city?  What makes them memorable?